Ashdown Forest
Ashdown Forest is a large open area of heathland together
with pine, birch and oak woodland in the High Weald
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
It is famous as the setting for the Winnie the Pooh
stories written by A. A. Milne. Poohsticks Bridge, Galleon's
Lap, Roo's Sandpit, the North Pole, the Hundred Acre
Wood, Heffelump Trap and the dark and mysterious forest
can all be found in Ashdown Forest.
Ashdown Forest was once a royal hunting ground and was
originally protected by Act of Parliament in 1885. The
forest was at one time home to a number of Red-necked
Wallabies, the result of an escape from a captive colony.
By the 1940s these were believed to be fully naturalised
and breeding; numbers declined, however, and the last
confirmed sighting was in 1972. Its importance to wildlife
is recognized by its designation as a Special Protection
Area. The village of Hartfield offers visitors a choice
of public houses which welcome children, plus a tea
room.
Bateman's
Bateman's is a 17th-century house located in Burwash,
Etchingham, East Sussex, England. British author Rudyard
Kipling lived in Bateman's from 1902 to his death in
1936. His wife left the house to the National Trust
on her death in 1939, and it has since been opened to
the public.
Bateman's is a modest Jacobean sandstone house built
in 1634 for a local iron master. Six brick columns form
a massive central chimneystack above the gabled facades.
When Kipling first came to Bateman's on a house-hunting
expedition in 1900 he fell in love with it on first
sight. He purchased it in 1902, and made it his home,
even paying for a new road to be built to the nearest
main road. Kipling wrote some of his finest works here
including "If—", "The Glory of the Garden" and Puck
of Pook's Hill, named after the hill visible from the
house. The house's setting and the wider local area
features in many of his stories in Puck of Pook's Hill
(1907).
Today the rooms are left as they were when the Kipling
family lived there. Kipling and his wife created interiors
that complimented the 17th century house. The heart
of the house is the book-lined study, at the top of
the stairs, where the writer worked. He sat at a 17th
century walnut refectory table under the window and
his writing tools, paperweight and pipe are still there.
Bateman's also reflects the writer's strong links with
the Indian subcontinent. There are oriental rugs in
many rooms and the Parlour displays Kipling's collection
of Indian works of art and artefacts. His bookplate
shows a small figure reading on top of an elephant.
Exhibition rooms contain manuscripts, letters and mementoes
of Kipling's life and work.
Beachy Head
Beachy Head is a chalk headland on the south coast of
England, close to the town of Eastbourne in the county
of East Sussex. The cliff there is the highest chalk
sea cliff in Britain, rising to 162 m (530 ft) above
sea level. The peak allows views of the south east coast
from Dungeness to the east, to Selsey Bill in the west.
The chalk was formed in the Cretaceous period when the
area was under the sea, 65 million years ago. Since
then, earth movements have raised the chalk up to form
the dramatic cliffs of the Sussex coast.
The prominence of Beachy Head has made it a landmark
for sailors in the English Channel. It is noted as such
in the sea shanty Spanish Ladies:
The first land we sighted was called the Dodman,
Next Rame Head off Plymouth, off Portsmouth the Wight;
We sailed by Beachy, by Fairlight and Dover,
And then we bore up for the South Foreland light.
It was also a danger to shipping. The famous Belle Tout
lighthouse built in 1831 is located near the edge of
the cliff on the next headland west from Beachy Head.
It was moved more than 17 m (50 ft) further inland in
1999 due to cliff erosion [1]. The lighthouse was superseded
by the newer Beachy Head Lighthouse, 43m in height,
built in the sea below in 1902.
West from Belle Tout, the cliffs drop down to Birling
Gap, and beyond that the Seven Sisters. The site is
a popular tourist attraction and includes a restaurant
and, in the summer heat, multiple ice cream vans.
Beachy Head is notorious as a popular location for people
to commit suicide. Actor David Scarboro, who originally
played Mark Fowler in the popular British soap opera
EastEnders, died there in 1989.
Bodiam Castle
Bodiam Castle was built by Sir Edward Dallingridge,
a former knight of Edward III, supposedly at the request
of Richard II in order to defend the surrounding area
from French invasion. However, recent research suggests
that the castle was built more for show than as an effective
defence.
The castle is completely surrounded by a moat. The south
side has a central tower called a postern tower. To
the right of the postern tower is the castle's great
hall. The turret at the left houses the well. Most of
the castle interior was destroyed during the English
Civil War. The north side of the castle has the gatehouse
and bridge. The turret on the left contains the chapel.
The castle was willed to the National Trust in 1926.
Herstmonceux
Herstmonceux is a village in the county of East Sussex
in the South East of England. It is the location of
Herstmonceux Castle and the former site of the Royal
Greenwich Observatory. Herstmonceux is also famous for
trugs. These are baskets made from willow boards set
in an ash or chestnut frame.
South Downs
The South Downs Way is a long-distance bridleway, running along the South Downs in southern England. The hundred-mile long trail runs east from Winchester in Hampshire, to Eastbourne in East Sussex.
The undulating path moves past the town of Arundel, the village of Steyning, Devil’s Dyke viewpoint near Brighton, and miles of chalk downland. Several youth hostels are along the route to accommodate walkers.
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a medium-sized town in East Sussex, on the south coast of Great Britain, with a population, according to the 2001 census, of around 90,000. Created almost from scratch during the 19th Century, it soon became a prime seaside resort, but has since suffered from the general trend away from taking holidays within the UK.
Geographically, Eastbourne is situated at the very end of the South Downs, and boasts the famous Beachy Head cliff, as well as extensive beaches. It is also within fairly easy reach of Brighton and London, although the lack of modernisation of the local train network makes it less attractive to commuters.
The town promotes itself as "The Sunshine Coast", and often claims the highest recorded hours of sunlight, producing a rivalry with the larger coastal resorts of Bournemouth and Weymouth. To many people, however, Eastbourne is more readily associated with the elderly, as it has historically been a popular retirement destination. This reputation is no longer entirely accurate, as recent major housing developments have been aimed mainly at young families, and the provision of adequate schooling is a key local issue.
The seafront at Eastbourne is distinctive in having no garish shop fronts opening onto it, the road being almost entirely populated by Victorian hotels. This is because much of Eastbourne has traditionally belonged to the Duke of Devonshire, who retains the rights to these buildings and does not allow them to be developed into shops. Along with its pier and bandstand, this serves to preserve the front in a somewhat timeless manner.
Eastbourne has various Martello Towers and a fort.
One feature that has always been heavily promoted is Eastbourne's floral displays, most notably the "Carpet Gardens" along the coastal road near the pier. These displays, and the town as a whole, frequently win awards — such as the 'Large Coastal Resort' category in the 2003 Britain in Bloom competition.
The author George Orwell spent the years from 1911 to 1916 at boarding school in Eastbourne and is believed to have taken inspiration for the farm in Animal Farm from a farm in Willingdon, a village that forms part of the conurbation that makes up Eastbourne. Lewis Carroll also had strong connections with the town. The bands Toploader and Easyworld both come from Eastbourne.
Eastbourne Buses, founded in 1903 is one of the oldest motorbus companies in the world.
Hastings
Hastings is a town and local government district in South East England, in the county of East Sussex. The population was about 84,000 in 2000. Known as a seaside resort and for the Battle of Hastings 1066, which actually occurred at the nearby town of Battle. Hastings was one of the Cinque Ports, but its significance as a port declined after the Middle Ages and its main industry became fishing. It still has the largest beach-based fishing fleet in England. The town enjoyed some modest expansion in the latter part of the 20th century.
Hastings has a pier, built in the 19th century, and wholly updated in the early 21st century. At one time there was another pier at St Leonards. Opposite the pier is the White Rock Theatre which mainly stages traditional seaside light entertainment shows. North of this and a little way inland are a 25m public swimming pool and leisure centre at Summerfields. This also has the local museum, law courts, police and fire stations nearby.
Near the castle ruins, on the West Hill, are "St Clement's Caves", partly natural, but mainly excavated by hand from the soft sandstone.
There are a miniature railway, fairground rides and amusement arcades catering for tourists near the Fishmarket. The fishmarket includes the striking net shops, fisherman's museum and Hastings Sea Life Centre. Fishing boats are likely to be drawn up on the beach and there is a lifeboat station. Nearby is Hastings Old Town with a number of buildings dating from the earliest days of the town. There are two funicular railways, (right) known as the East Hill Lift and West Hill Lift respectively. Slightly inland is the small Stables Theatre, which shows mainly local productions.
To the east of the town is the Hastings Country Park. This is an area of 2.67 km˛ of lightly wooded and open land extending from hastings approximately 3 miles (5 km) along the cliff tops to Fairlight.
Another family pool with wave machine and water slide is situated at Glyne Gap, on the coast mid-way between Bexhill and Hastings. Glyne Gap also sports a bowling alley and recently extended shopping centre.
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England. It is situated in a gap in the South Downs where the river Ouse runs. It also serves as the administrative capital of the Lewes district.
To the east of the town the downs rise sharply forming a large chalk cliff that can be seen for many miles. The adjacent part of the town is known as Cliffe. The southern part of the town is known as Southover.
The name Lewes comes from the Anglo-Saxon word "Hlew", which means "Hill". The town is indeed largely built on a hill.
On December 27, 1836, an avalanche occurred in Lewes, the worst ever recorded in England. It was caused by a large build-up of snow on the nearby cliff slipping down onto a row of cottages called Boulder Row (now part of South Street). About fifteen people were buried, and eight of these died. A pub in South Street is named The Snowdrop in memory of the event.
The town is famous for its annual Guy Fawkes night celebrations on the 5th of November. In Lewes this event not only marks the date of the uncovering of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605, but also commemorates the memory of 17 Protestant martyrs who were burnt at the stake in the town during the Marian persecutions of 1555–1557.
The current celebrations take the form of a series of torchlit processions through the town. The event is organised by the local bonfire societies.
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